Adjustable trouser waist



Dec. 22, 1964 J. BE-rz 3,161,890

ADJUSTABLE TRoUsER WAIST Filed Deo. 1o, 1962 INVENroR JOHN BETZ ATTO RN EY United States Patent() 3,161,890 ADJUSTABE TRQUSER WAIST .lohn Betz, 91 Algonquin Drive, Warwick, Rl. Filed Dec. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 243,387 2 Claims. (Cl. 2 237) My present invention relates Vto apparel, and more particularly to a novel construction of trousers.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a sport type trouser which can be used by both sex.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pair of sport trousers having adjustment provisions at the Waist.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pair `of adjustable trousers in which the adjustment is made at the rear so that the front portion of the trousers always lies smooth on the wearer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pair of sport type adjustable trousers which can readily be formed into shorts and can be used with any type of material including waterproof material.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in View my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and more particularly delined in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a pair of trousers embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary rear View, partially broken away, showing the adjustable waist.

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the waist adjusting mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4 4 on FIG. 3.

It has been found desirable to provide a pair of sport trousers to be used by either men or women and having a novel adjustment of the waist which permits a gathering or puckering of the material at the rear and allowing the front portion of the trousers to remain smooth regardless of the adjustment. The garment of the present invention was primarily designed for a pair of shorts as illustrated in FIG. 1, but can obviously be used en full length trousers. Furthermore, it was contemplated that the trousers are particularly useful in sailing and therefore the material should be waterproof such as a plastic coated nylon. Again however, the particular adjustment illustrated can be applied to trousers made of any desirable material.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, FIG. l illustrates the adjustment as applied to a pair of shorts of Waterproof material for purposes of illustration only. The shorts are illustrated as made of waterproof nylon and designed in a conventional manner with a fly front Il and a waist band portion 12 having a conventional snap closure 13. At the front of the garment, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the waist band portion 12 is of conventional appearance and is supplied with spaced loops 14. However, at the rear of the waist band as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, an extra fold of material i5 is provided at the inside of the waist band and which is sewn to the front portion of the garment 1t) at the top le at the intermediate portion 17 and at the bottom 18 to provide a pair of spaced passageways 19 and 2t). These vertically aligned passageways terminate at each side of the garment a slight distance rearwardly from the side seam as illustrated in FIG. 3. At each termination there is an opening which can be strengthened by the use of a grommet 21.

For purposes of effecting the adjustment and to present a sporty appearance I prefer to use a pair of ropes 22 and 23. The rope 22 is positioned in the upper passage- ICC way 19 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and extends through the grommet opening at the left in FIG. 3 around inside of the passageway 19 and its end comes out at the right side where it is knotted so that it will engage the band and will not be pulled through. Similarly the rope 23 passes oit to 'the right in FIG. 3 through the grommet opening 21 through the lower passageway 20 and out on the left side where it is also knotted to prevent withdrawal.` The free ends of the ropes 22 and Z3 then cross in the front of the garment as shown in FIGS. l and 3.

In making an adjustment it is merely necessary to tie the first half of a square knot and pull the ropes apart. Pulling on the rope 22 will cause the pull to be transmitted rst from the left around the back of the garment to the right side where the knot is located as illustrated in FIG. 3. Pulling on the rope 23 transmits the pull around to the other side. Since the opposite sides of the rope are being pulled towards each other a crinkling or puckering of the material occurs to the rear of the garment as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. However, since the front of the garment as shown in FIGS. l and 3 is not affected by this pulling action it always lies neat and flat. Therefore the adjustment and puckering of the garment is not transmitted to the front portion. The knot can then be completed to tie the trousers in place.

This type of sporty garment is quite useful in sailing where it is necessary to sit with ones bottom hanging over the edge of the gunnels. Standard foul weather gear is very bulky and it is conventional to wear the top portion only. The present invention is therefore designed to provide a pair of shorts made of waterproof material which canreadily be adjusted tobe used by both male and female sailors. However, the above illustrated form is for purposes of illustration only. The adjustment may be provided on shorts made of any material including standard woolen shorts, and the adjustment can oi' course be made on full length trousers or slacks. The adjustment while sporty looking, is designed to pucker or crinkle the waist band only at the rear portion thereof so that the front lies always smooth and unruliled. This is important Where the shorts are designed for both male and female wear.

Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In an adjustable garment comprising a pair of trousers having a Waist portion, the rear segment of said waist portion having a double thickness of material deining a passageway therebetewen extending from one side of said waist portion to the other side through said rear segment, a pair of adjustment cords adapted to be fastened together in front of said waist portion and extending in opposite directions around the front and through said passageway, means for guiding said cords on the exterior of said front waist portion, said cords terminating at opposite sides of said waist portion at the ends of said passageway, said terminals being anchored to said waist whereby pulling on the front ends of said cords will cause said rear segment to pucker and narrow said waist, said cord terminals extending through openings in said passageway and being knotted for anchoring against withdrawal, said openings having grommet perimeters, said trousers being made of waterproof material.

2. An adjustable garment comprising a pair of trousers having a waist portion, the rear segment of said waist portion having a double thickness of material defining a passageway therebetween extending from one side of said waist portion to the other side through said rear segment, a pair of adjustment cords adapted to be fastened together in front of said waist portion and extending in opposite directions around the front and through said passageway, means for guiding said cords on the exterior of said front Waist portion, said cords terminating at opposite sides of said waist portion at the ends of said passageway, said terminals being anchored .to said waist .y whereby pulling on the front ends of said cords will cause said rear segment to pcker and narrow said Waist, said passageway being divided to form a separate passageway for each of said cords, said cord terminals extending through openings in said passageway and being knotted or anchoring against withdrawal, Asaid openings having grommet perimeters, said trousers being made of waterproof material, said trousers having shortened legs to form shorts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Eager Aug. 15,

Mayper Apr. 7,

Schneider Sept. 15,

Wellins et a1. Oct. 14,

Terrell May 16,

FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Jan. 19, 

1. IN AN ADJUSTABLE GARMENT COMPRISING A PAIR OF TROUSERS HAVING A WAIST PORTION, THE REAR SEGMENT OF SAID WAIST PORTION HAVING A DOUBLE THICKNESS OF MATERIAL DEFINING A PASSAGEWAY THEREBETWEEN EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID WAIST PORTION TO THE OTHER SIDE THROUGH SAID REAR SEGMENT, A PAIR OF ADJUSTMENT CORDS ADAPTED TO BE FASTENED TOGETHER IN FRONT OF SAID WAIST PORTION AND EXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AROUND THE FRONT AND THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY, MEANS FOR GUIDING SAID CORDS ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID FRONT WAIST PORTION, SAID CORDS TERMINATING AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID WAIST PORTION AT THE ENDS OF SAID PASSAGEWAY, SAID TERMINALS BEING ANCHORED TO SAID WAIST WHEREBY PULLING ON THE FRONT ENDS OF SAID CORDS WILL CAUSE SAID REAR SEGMENT TO PUCKER AND NARROW SAID WAIST, SAID CORD TERMINALS EXTENDING THROUGH OPENINGS IN SAID PASSAGEWAY AND BEING KNOTTED FOR ANCHORING AGAINST WITHDRAWAL, SAID OPENINGS HAVING GROMMET PERIMETERS, SAID TROUSERS BEING MADE OF WATERPROOF MATERIAL. 